Auxiliary-locking mechanism for safes



' July 14, 1925.

, 1.546.299 L. E. McKowN ET AL AUXILIARY LOCKING MECHANISI FOR SAFES Filed Jan. 26, 1924 2;. r 5 l l fig-2;' l .1- M

-Mm l' INVENTOR. Z. ENS/Ewa.

J. Fac s,

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED ySTATES 1,546,299 PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS E. MCKOWN AND JOI-IN FUCHS, OF BRIMFIELD, ILLINOIS AUXILIARY-LOCKING MECHANISM FO'R SAFES.

Application filed January 26, 1924. Serial No. 688,858.

To all whom 'it may concer/1t.'

13e it known that we, Lnwrs E. MoKowN and JOHN FUCHS, both citizens of the United `States, residing at Brimiield, in theV county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Auxiliary-Locking Mechanism for Safes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention pertains to improvements in safes, relating more particularly to an auxiliary locking means thereforor in addition to the usual combination lock usually fitted to the safe.

An object of the invention is to provide mechanism which, when the usual safe combination lock is tampered with, or knocked off, will automatically be released to engage and prevent the locking-bolt mechanism from being operated thus thwarting an attempt to gain entrance to the safe.

Another object is that Cif-providing a mechanism for automatically engaging the locking-bolt mechanism when the safe is tampered with, but which can be retracted from outside the safe by persons familiar with the method of so doing, thereby permitting the safe to be opened.

Another obj ect is to furnish a mechanism for the purposes named that can be adjusted to various positions so that no one safe provided therewith will be like another with respectl to the position of such mechanism.

To the end that the invention may be thoroughly understood, the accompanying drawing is made part hereof, and wherein,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the inner side of a safe door showing the invention in place thereon.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of part of a safe door, on line 2 2, Figure 1, showing certain parts of the invention, and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of part of a safe door showing parts of the invention in place thereon.

The. safe door is denoted by the character l and in Figure 1 is viewed at its inner side, 2 indicating the usual locking-bolts extending from one edge of the door to enter holes in the jamb, not shown, while 3 is a bar to which the bolts are secured. Any usual combination lock is shown at 4 to receive an extension 5 secured on the said bar 3, to none of which, however', any claim to lerably it is made adjustable in position.

That is to say, 7 designates two screws let through and seated in one of the edges of the door and threaded into the wall of the said box 6 so that by turning them the latter may be shifted in position for a purpose to be made known later. Truss rods 8 may be let through opposite edges of the door and be made to overlie the box holding it firmly against the door by friction and may pass through eyes 9 on said box, if desired, there being turn-buckles 10 for adjusting said rods for tension.

Pivoted at 11 within the box is aA trigger f 0n a center pin or staff 19 of the combi,

nation lock 4 is loosely placed a bar 201 whose lower end is also loosely placed upon a post 21 extending from the door, Figure 2, whereby said bar is held from movement in a lateral direction as viewed in Figure 1. A wire or cable 22 is attached to the other or free end of the. bar and may pass over a pulley 23, for example, if desired, andV extends toward and has connection with the trigger 12.

,Secured to the bar 3 carrying the bolts 2 is a bar 24 extending toward and into the box 6 and having a recess 25 in its end. Said recess is adapted to receive into it the locking-lever 15, see dotted lines in Figure 1, and forms a stop therefor as against the pull of the spring 18 and as a stop for the said bar 24 in an attempted movement to unseat the bolts 2.

In use the parts are set as Yshown in Fig- A spring 17 attached at its 1 ures 1 and 2 Whether the safe is open or closed and remains normally in those positions, or With the lever 15 suspended fromv 'knocking-off lthecembin'ation lock as mustV bevdonein order'to free the locking :bolt 1mechan-isrm't'hat act, or any act unusual to theconventional'manner of'opening" a sate Willfresultin jarring off or unseating the 'bar' 20= whereupon-theespringv 17 will, when thusfreleased, removethe trigger12 from engagementfwith the locking-lever 15. 'The ysjgiringlS-is thereuponfree'to loperate the :said lever ldrawing it iii-tothe recess -25 of the bar 24: effectivelypreventingA said bar `being moved to unseat the bolts 2, and'explosives must then rbefrequired iflthe safe is to '-'fbelfentered.'y However, theoivner `may readily`I be permitted to unseat vthe bolts 2 by -a- 'method n'oW to be described As shown in'Figure-B, the pivotflG-or the lockinglever 151 is-provided with a slotted'end 16, for example, Which lies `adj acentv tothe sur- Vfacefof the door? asTsho-Wn 'in the `present instance, and after the vrinstallation 'of the "mechanism itis only necessary to Aobtain the -measu'rements :from'txvo ot the edges of the door to the center' of the pivotV 16 so that when necessaryl to permit the unseatingv of said bolts-2' after having beenloclied in'the tmanner'describ'ed,la 'holemay bel drilled througlrthe -d`oor, Vfor instance at the point in'said Figure 3, sothatl asuitable tooll may bel inserted 'toiengage the said pivot. A

4,slight turn'avill' lift the lever 15 against the leverfrom the bar 24,'vvhereupon the lock- -ing-bolt mechanism'may Ybe readilyfoper- 'ated'V Upon iop'ening the door theengagement-'of they trigger 12 and the lever lmay afterwards kno-W just Where a new'hole is fto be made,'the"hole previously made having-been iilled and 4the position 'thereof made-invisible. *By loosening theturnbuckles'V 10 a -considerable degree of movement of the box is'po'ssiible'by f means of said screws 7 as may be understood, the Wire or cable 22 being'v adjusted in length to accommodate it to anychanges made. How# ever, other methods of securing the box in v place andi'o-r adjusting it may be employed pull `oftheis'pring 18,thus `lifting said as is evident, since the method described is but'one of vthe Ways vro1 accomplishment of the. obj ect.

lJVhat is claimed is:

1. In a' device'of the 'nature described, in combinationnwith a 1 safe door, its locking bolt mechanism, and combination lock, a lockI carrying:'bo'dyanovabie over the inner face of said door to adjusted lixed positions, a locking lever* p'ivotally mounted thereon adapted to'be moved-into the path'ot movement of part of the locking bolt mechanism, means alsomounted on the bo'dy 'for positively causingsuchmovement yof the. lever, a trigger pivoted on the bodyVv engaging rthe `lever adapted "forI maintaining *saidl trigger in its disengaged "position, `means on the body connected -to the trigger to positively voperate it for releasing the'- lever, and means 'connected tothe .trigger xto'hold Vitin engagement With the said lever andadapte'd vvhen "the combination 'lock 1is'aiiected to release fsaid trigger andf permit' its; vvith'draival from 4 of said door to adjusted ixed positions,

vlocking leverl pivotally m'ountedon the body adaptedv to bemoved into r`the path of movement of4 part of the said locking mechanism, means on the body"for"positively causing *movement of the lever, a trigger pivoted on said body engaging the ylever adaptedfor maintaining it yin its-disengaged position, v means connected to the trigger to'p'ositively 'operate itA or'feleasing 'the lever, and means connected tothe trigger to'hold the latter in engagement vvith' the `=`lever and `adapted When the co'm'binat-i'on lock is affected to ,releaseA the trigger and permit itsfpositive Withdrawal from the lever.

3. In c'ombinationvith a safe door, its locking ibolts, and combination lock,v a. mount-ing shittable relatively to the door, means connected with the 'mountingfr positively shifting itA and forsecuring it in iixed adjustment, and mechanism carried 'Wholly' by the mounting`r in'cludi'ng a lever adapted to engage and prevent'ltli'elocking bolts'from being runseafted from the Aja-m'b of lthev 'safe and ai triggerto lengage it, andan operating part connectingthe combination loclr'and saidl mechanism.

-ti "In combination-'With afsafe door, a lock carrying body, means to holdthesame triction'a-lly uponthe inner surface of said door, and means to shift" th'ebody upon'th'e door and onsecnringit'in permanentadjustment. 'n v 5;Incombina'tionlvvvith a safe door anda locking-bolt' `mechanism, a 'lockrv carrying v`body, means to holdthe"'same rictionallyl against Kthe-'inner surface'of the door, a

pivotally mounted locking-lever adapted to enter the path of part of the locking-bolt mechanism, the pivot portion of the same having an end adjacent said door surface engageable by a tool whereby said lever may be moved out of said path, a pivoted trigger adapted to engage and hold the lever out of said path, elastic means engaging the trigger constantly tending to move the trigger and release the lever, releasable means to hold the trigger in the lever engaging position in opposition to the said elastic means, and means to shift the look-carrying body upon the door and for maintaining it in a fixed position.

In testimony whereof we aix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS E. MGKCVN. JOHN FUCHS. Witnesses:

CHAs. C. CARSON, JOHN A. CALDWELL. 

